Wheels of the bicycle may vary in diameter between 70 cm maximum and 55 cm minimum, including the tyre. For the cyclo-cross bicycle the width of the tyre shall not exceed 35 mm and it may not incorporate any form of spike or stud.For massed start road races only wheel designs granted prior approval by the UCI may be used. Wheels will have minimum 12 spokes; spokes can be round, flattened or oval, as far as no dimension of their sections exceeds 10 mm. In order to be granted approval wheels must have passed a rupture test as prescribed by the UCI in a laboratory approved by the UCI. The test results must show that the rupture characteristics obtained are compatible with those resulting from an impact sustained during normal use of the wheel. The following criteria must be fulfilled:

On impact, no element of the wheel may become detached and be expelled outwards.The rupture must not present any shattered or broken off elements, or any sharp or serrated surfaces that could harm the user, other riders and/or spectators.The rupture characteristics must not cause the hub to become separated from the rim in such a way that the wheel becomes detached from the forks.Without prejudice to the tests imposed by the laws, regulations or customs, standard (traditional) wheels are exempted from the rupture test referred to above. A traditional wheel is deemed to be a wheel with at least 16 metal spokes; the spokes may be round, flat or oval, provided that no dimension of their cross sections exceeds 2.4 mm; the section of the rim must not exceed 2.5 cm on each side.Notwithstanding this article, the choice and use of wheels remains subject to articles 1.3.001 to 1.3.003.

ps, that's a direct quote from the UCI web site. Cycling NSW has nothing to do with the formulation of the rules aside from enforcing them. I am sure they say they have some 'input' but that would just be the fat old guys talking themselves up. The UCI is a world unto themselves as far as this stuff goes. They don't even consult with the pro teams who finance them if they can help it.

I just picked up a brand new set of Reynolds DV3k for $900 including shipping from the us and 2 years warranty ..... As genuine as they can be. Shop around there are plenty of good buys out there. They only weight 1385grams and have them on the bike for a week now and did a few rides and happy with them. Only thing I found is the brakes are a bit spongy in the wet but I did read that elsewhere as it seems to be with all full carbon wheels. No regret in getting a set (apart from having to swap brake pads when putting the training wheels back on, but that's only. 10min job)

Here in SA -commissares only check helmets and wheels at Time trial events prior to the competitor rolling off. Im not sure about in door track however.

I know plenty of riders that run custom built wheels(zipp/enve rims) and Chinese ones from ebay at crits every week non of them however are doing TT's(but then again these are not mass start events ) or in A grade/open (where it matters most)

Yes - Cycling Australia basically introduced a by-law that expanded the definition of a 'standard wheel'. (I had some correspondence with them when they did it, as the first 'write' of it on the website was a bit confusing).

Essentially - if your wheel has at least 16 spokes, AND is made of metal, then you are good to go. No 'approval' is needed - its a standard wheel.

OR

If your wheel has 16 or more METAL spokes, and the rim depth is less than 2.5cm, then you are good to go. No approval is needed - its a standard wheel.

Remember - 'standard wheels' do NOT to be UCI approved. They don't have to be on the UCI approved wheel list to be OK.

If your wheel does NOT fit into one of the above two definitions - then it needs to be on the UCI-approved list.

If it doen't, and the wheel breaks during a race and causes an accident, then you are NOT covered by the Cycling Australia personal injury insurance. I personally can't afford to be sued, so both my wheelsets are 'standard' (and if I ever buy deep carbon wheels, I'll go for UCI approved ones only).

Worth noting that it explicitly states it is the sole responsibility of competitors to ensure they are on a complying wheelset, so comments about "officials haven't stopped me before" are pretty much irrelevant.

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